3 Jaguars players who cooked, 2 who burnt out in Week 12 crucial win vs. the Texans

There was no shortage of intrigue in the divisional bout between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. Although the Jags took control of the game early, they took the foot off the gas pedal in the second half and let Houston draw to within 24-21.

With 3:01 left in the fourth quarter, the Texans had a chance to tie the game. However, a couple of sacks by outside linebacker Josh Allen (the second one split with Travon Walker) stymied their effort. In the end, they only managed to get to the Jags' 39-yard, where kicker Matt Ammendola attempted a 58-yard field goal. It wasn't good and Jacksonville won.

Following the win, the Jags are 8-3 and remain in first place in the AFC South while the Texans are 6-5 and two games behind. So which Jaguars players stood out in Week 12? Here are three, along with a couple who didn't.

No. 3 Jaguars player who cooked vs. the Texans in Week 12: Calvin Ridley, WR

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was coming off his best game in Jaguars uniform. Against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11, he had seven catches for 103 yards with two touchdowns. It was going to be interesting to see if he was going to be able to have another productive outing for the second straight week. He did.

Against the Texans, Ridley had five receptions for 89 yards with one touchdown. He also caught a two-point conversion and would have had another 40-yard touchdown reception if he had been able to come down with it in the end zone. But even without that dropped pass, he still had an overall good performance.

No. 2 Jaguars player who cooked vs. the Texans in Week 12: Trevor Lawrence, QB

For the second game in a row, Trevor Lawrence got good protection. He once again took advantage of it, going 23-of-28 for 383 yards with one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown, and an interception. The pick wasn't his fault though. Safety Jalen Pitre should've been flagged for a blatant pass interference infraction. He wasn't, and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. got ahead of tight end Evan Engram to get the interception.

Leaving the interception aside, Lawrence had a pretty good game. He wasn't afraid to take deep shots, and had four completions of 40+ yards, becoming the first quarterback since 2000 to achieve such a feat. The former Clemson Tiger also set a new career high for yards per attempt in a game, posting a 9.6 average against the Texans. All things considered, this was one of the best games of Lawrence's young career.

No. 2 Jaguars who burnt out vs. the Texans in Week 12: Darious Williams, CB

Cornerback Darious Williams was playing at a Pro Bowl level early in the season, registering three interceptions in a three-game stretch. While he still leads the league in passes defensed, he hasn't been nearly as good in recent weeks.

In Week 12, Williams struggled to cover rookie wide receiver Tank Dell when he was assigned to him. He got a big break when a Dell completion was wiped out by an illegal shift penalty. In his defense, the Jaguars' secondary struggled to defend C.J. Stroud, but it would've been good to see him make a play or two on a day when the Texans had no trouble moving the ball.

No. 1 player who cooked vs. the Texans in Week 12: Josh Allen, OLB

Outside linebacker Josh Allen entered a contract year in 2023. Instead of giving him an extension, the team's brass opted to let his contract play out in hopes that the former first-round pick would reach his potential. From the start of the season, Allen has been a man on a mission, playing at an elite level and becoming the player the Jaguars expected.

Although the former Kentucky Wildcat had had other productive outings this season, the one against the Texans tops the rest. Allen had four hits and brought down C.J. Stroud early in the game. He registered two more sacks — to set a new career best of 12.0 — with the game on the line on the Texans' last drive. That's the kind of performance you expect from your franchise players and Jacksonville has one in Josh Allen.

No. 1 Jaguars player who burnt out vs. the Texans in Week 12: Zay Jones, WR

The Jags are most definitely pleased that wide receiver Zay Jones is back in the lineup after missing five games. Opposing teams must now account for him, which in turn prevents them from zeroing in on Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk. On the other hand, Jones has been quiet the past two games. Against the Titans, he had four receptions for 20 yards and he only tallied one reception for 10 yards in Week 12.

Maybe Jones is still not 100 percent from the knee injury that's held him back. It's possible that he'll get a bigger target share in the upcoming weeks. But on a day in which Ridley and Kirk showed out, Jones wasn't much of a factor.

Here are other recent Jaguars stories you may also enjoy: